I grew up in a northern New England family and community rich in stories and folklore. My parents were deeply involved in local history and genealogy; a few were fiddlers and ballad singers. I heard tales about my ancestors: loggers, factory workers, soldiers, railroad men, songsters, and farm women. History is in my bones. A stint in the U.S. Army took me to Virginia, Kentucky, and Germany, where my fellow GIs taught me about the rest of America. Night classes led to formal schooling, and eventually a PhD degree, but my true calling has always been working with everyday people searching for their past. Along the way, I helped restore the Tredegar Iron Works, co-chaired Richmond's Monument Avenue Commission, and served as chair of the program committee for the Richmond Folk Festival. I currently work as the senior consulting historian for Richmond’s Shockoe Institute, dedicated to examining the enduing effects of slavery on American life.